Police Officer Involved Domestic Violence.
Lighting a candle of remembrance for those who've lost their lives to domestic violence behind the blue wall, for strength and wisdom to those still there, and a non-ending prayer for those who thought they had escaped but can't stop being afraid.

UPDATE:
CHARGES AGAINST OFFICER JOHNSON DISMISSED AND HIS EX ARRESTED. SEE COMMENTS SECTION.

FIRST EXCERPTS ON OFFICER JOHNSON FROM LAST MONTH AND THIS MONTH:

KINGSPORT OFFICER ARRESTED FOLLOWING ALLEGED ASSAULT AT EX-GIRLFRIEND'S HOME
Kingsport Times News
By Rain Smith
April 5th, 2011
[Excerpts] An off-duty Kingsport police officer has been arrested after allegedly entering his ex-girlfriend's home, urinating on her bed, then assaulting her and her new boyfriend when they arrived at the residence. According to an affidavit filed in Washington County court, he repeatedly refused to leave, finally complying when the male victim retrieved a firearm from his truck. David Johnson, a KPD patrolman and K-9 handler, has been charged with domestic assault, criminal trespassing and vandalism of more than $500... Johnson had reportedly been at the residence for some time, as several empty bottles of alcohol were in the trash can.... When the victim's current boyfriend again asked Johnson to leave, Johnson reportedly, "swung at him, striking a glancing blow to the top of his head." When the ex-girlfriend then told Johnson to stop, according to the affidavit, Johnson, "pushed her in the throat, causing her to stumble backwards." A Washington County officer that responded to the scene reports observing a red mark on the woman's neck.... Johnson is suspended, "pending the outcome of an internal investigation and/or court action"... Johnson is the fourth Kingsport officer to face disciplinary action in the past three weeks... [Full article here]

KINGSPORT OFFICIALS SAY THEY WON'T TOLERATE BAD BEHAVIOR FROM OFFICERS
tricities.com
By Lizz Marrs
Published: April 06, 2011
[Excerpts] Kingsport City officials say they aren't going to let bad behavior from their officers be tolerated, and they are doing all they can to make it known to their staff. Washington County Tennessee deputies arrested officer David Johnson Monday, April 5 on charges of domestic assault, criminal trespassing and vandalism... The mayor told 11Connects Lizz Marrs that he holds their officers to a high standard and expects them to act above and beyond the law.... The city says they won't cover up for any wrong doing by their officers. "It's not unusual that when you have front page stories and you talk about this that some people are concerned and they should be concerned but I think the importance of this is that we dealt with the situation and didn't sweep it under carpet," [City manager John] Campbell said. The Kingsport Police Department recently received their re-accreditation. What effect could these incidents have on their accreditation? "It sounds like this agency is doing exactly what accreditation requires them to do," said Dennis Hyater the program manager at CALEA. "That is to actively investigate those issues involving their officers and that is to not cover it up. The mere fact that they did what they did mean... [Full article here]

OFFICER’S CASE SENT TO GRAND JURY
Johnson City Press
By Becky Campbell
Published May 4, 2011
[Excerpts] Charges against a Kingsport police officer [David Johnson] will go to a Washington County grand jury after a judge bound the case over following a preliminary hearing... His accuser, a woman he apparently thought was his girlfriend but who was dating another man, testified Wednesday in Sessions Court. [G.E.] claims Johnson cut up her clothes, urinated on her bed and assaulted her and her boyfriend. The case went a little differently than an Order of Protection hearing two weeks ago that ended when [G.E.] withdrew her petition. That withdrawal came after hard questioning by Johnson’s attorney, Lisa Rice... Judge Robert Lincoln agreed with [Assistant District Attorney General Michael] Rasnick’s objections when Rice asked [G.E.] questions that included how entailed her relationship with Johnson was, when she did and didn’t allow him to use the key she gave him and how long he’d had the key... The encounter between Johnson, [G.E.] and her current boyfriend, [J.B.], began April 3 around 8 p.m... [G.E.] testified that she asked Johnson to leave and he asked her why she didn’t love him or want to be with him... Lincoln ruled there was probable cause for him to believe Johnson committed the crimes with which he’s charged. A grand jury will weigh the evidence during its next session to determine if the case should go to trial. Johnson’s career, a decade as a Kingsport city officer with a clean work history, hangs in the balance... [Full article here]

EXCERPTS FROM OTHER ARTICLES I SAVED:

2006

KINGSPORT POLICE OFFICER TERRY CHRISTIAN

KINGSPORT police officer Terry Christian was arrested by a fellow Kingsport Police officer on charges of aggravated domestic assault after her husband, Sullivan County Sheriff's Office detective Shane Christian, said she attacked him with a claw hammer when he returned home to pack some personal belongings. "Shane Christian stated that he was in fear for his life during the assault." A friend who was in the house testified that she was standing 8 or 10 feet away in the Christians' living room and saw Terry Christian swing the hammer as soon as she opened the door for Shane. She said she couldn't testify that the hammer hit Shane Christian, but that it looked to her as if it did. The next month a judge dismissed the case.

2008KINGSPORT POLICE OFFICER DANIEL LANE
The estranged wife of recently exonerated Kingsport police officer Daniel Scott Lane has been arrested in connection with a false rape accusation she allegedly made against Lane. Courtney Jo Lane told officers she was currently separated from her husband, Daniel Lane, and that he "had assaulted her by grabbing her around the throat and forcing her to the bed"... According to the arrest report, deputies observed several red marks on the woman’s throat. The marks were consistent with the type of assault described... [LINK]

AUGUST 2011 UPDATES ON OFFICER JOHNSON:

CHARGES AGAINST KINGSPORT POLICE OFFICER DISMISSED
August 20th, 2011
[Excerpt] ... A Kingsport police officer [David Johnson] suspended earlier this year when he was arrested on domestic assault and vandalism charges will not be prosecuted further, according to the assistant district attorney in the case... [Full article here]

CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST SUSPENDED KINGSPORT POLICE OFFICER: SUSPENDED KINGSPORT POLICE OFFICER DAVID JOHNSON HAD ASSAULT AND VANDALISM CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST HIM.
August 22, 2011
[Excerpt] ... Assault and vandalism charges have been dropped against a suspended Kingsport police officer. David Johnson had been earlier been indicted by the Washington County, Tennessee grand jury on two counts of simple assault, and one count of vandalism over $1,000. Johnson's ex-girlfriend had told the Washington County Sheriff's Office that Johnson had entered her home and assaulted both her and her current boyfriend. But Assistant District Attorney Dennis Brooks told 11 Connects those charges have been dropped, mainly because neither side wanted the case to go to trial... [Full article here]

KINGSPORT STILL REVIEWING CASE OF KINGSPORT OFFICER AFTER DOMESTIC ASSAULT CHANGES ARE DROPPED
August 23rd, 2011
[Excerpts] ... Johnson, 37, has been suspended without pay since being indicted on the charges — domestic assault, vandalism over $500 and criminal trespassing — in July. Prior to the indictment, Johnson was on paid suspension. He was accused of trespassing in Gwen Easter’s condo, and while waiting for her to return home, Easter claimed Johnson cut up her clothes, urinated on her bed, then assaulted her and her boyfriend, Jared Beasley, when they arrived. [Full article here]

JOHNSON REINSTATED TO KINGSPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT
August 24, 2011
[Excerpt] Kingsport Police officer David Johnson has been reinstated to his job. Police Chief Gale Osborne released a statement Wednesday, saying "We have completed a thorough internal review and examination of court records and have decided to reinstate Officer David Johnson with the Kingsport Police Department. In addition, Officer Johnson will resume his duties as a K-9 handler. We look forward to his return to service as he works to put this incident behind him." Assault and vandalism charges were dropped... [Full article here][police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety cop on cop female perp perpetrator tennessee murder state politics]

Kingsport police officer David Johnson, 37, is still awaiting word on whether he will be re-instated to his job.

According to a WJHL report the city issued a statement Monday, saying "We continue to review the facts of the incident involving Officer Johnson with a decision on his standing with the department expected shortly."

Johnson, 37, has been suspended without pay since being indicted on the charges — domestic assault, vandalism over $500 and criminal trespassing — in July. Prior to the indictment, Johnson was on paid suspension.

He was accused of trespassing in Gwen Easter’s condo, and while waiting for her to return home, Easter claimed Johnson cut up her clothes, urinated on her bed, then assaulted her and her boyfriend, Jared Beasley, when they arrived.

ROGERSVILLE — The estranged wife of recently exonerated Kingsport police officer Daniel Scott Lane has been arrested in connection with a false rape accusation she allegedly made against Lane last month. Courtney Jo Lane, 30, 203 Hickory Hills Road, Church Hill, was charged Tuesday evening with filing a false report, a Class E felony punishable by one to two years in prison.

A domestic assault charge filed Nov. 20 against Daniel Lane, 32, of Kingsport, was dismissed Monday by Hawkins County Sessions Judge David Brand, reportedly at the request of Courtney Lane.

Following Monday’s court hearing, Courtney Lane was brought to the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office, where she was questioned about differences in statements she’d made after her initial statement to police Nov. 20.

According to Courtney Lane’s arrest warrant filed by HCSO Detective Lt. Randy Collier, after deputies were called to her home the night of Nov. 20, she stated that she had been assaulted and raped by her husband. The two are separated.

Collier stated in the warrant that upon making the allegations, Courtney Lane was transported to Hawkins County Memorial Hospital, where a “rape kit” was administered.

Daniel Lane was charged with domestic assault, and a rape investigation was initiated by the HCSO.

Collier added that he was provided other evidence that Courtney Lane had “made a false statement in reporting that her husband had raped her when she knew it was a false statement and that it resulted in a response from law enforcement.”

“The defendant, after being read her rights, admitted that she lied about the rape and gave consent to their relations on the night of the incident,” Collier stated in the arrest warrant.

Daniel Lane had been on administrative leave with pay from the Kingsport Police Department since his arrest Nov. 20 but was reinstated back to active duty Tuesday.

CHARGES AGAINST OFFICER DISMISSEDPublished August 19, 2011By Becky Campbell - Press Staff WriterDavid Johnson[Excerpts] A Kingsport police officer suspended earlier this year when he was arrested on domestic assault and vandalism charges will not be prosecuted further, according to the assistant district attorney in the case.... Assistant District Attorney General Dennis Brooks said Friday that after investigating the case to prepare for trial, which was scheduled to start Monday, he chose to dismiss the case. “I elected to move for dismissal of the case with input from the victim, as neither side really wanted a trial,” Brooks said. “Any civil legal terms are being handled by the civil attorneys for both sides.” Brooks declined to comment further on the dismissal “out of respect for both sides.” Johnson’s attorney, Lisa Rice, said she was “pleased the state has dismissed the charge.” If an Order of Protection hearing in April was any indication, the trial was sure to bring out embarrassing testimony and evidence for both sides. Sexually explicit and verbally abusive text and voice messages were a large part of the hearing. Easter voluntarily withdrew her petition after Johnson’s attorney, Lisa Rice, introduced a texted photo Easter sent to Johnson of her midsection, specifically the area covered by a bikini bottom... Easter and Johnson’s dating relationship, while just a few months long, occurred while she was still married, according to testimony at that hearing...